Latch and mask engaging means for rectilinearly moving members



Feb. 21, 1950 J. G. EON E zww LATCH AND MASK ENGAGING MEANS FOR RECTILINEARLY MOVING MEMBERS 2 Shefcs-Sheet 1 Filed' Aug. 6, 1947 Ha l J "(es Gland/m1 J. G. BONE 2,498,356 LATCH AND MASK ENGAGING MEANS FOR RECTILINEARLY MOVING MEMBERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 21, 1950 Filed Aug. 6, 1947 Invenbr" 9 Bone.

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Jumps mend/H111 Patented Feb. 21, 1950 LATCH AND MASK ENGAGING MEANS FOR v RECTILINEABLY MOVING MEMBERS James Glendinning Bone, Stockton-on-Tees, England, assignor to The Powe'r-GasCorporation Limited, Stockton-on-Tees, England, a British company Application August 6, 1947, Serial No. 766,655 In Great Britain November 26, 1942 Section 1, Public Law .690, August 8,1946 7 Patent expires November 26,1962 I 8 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in control apparatus for use in plants in which I various displaceable elements (such as the valves of a water gas plant or a hydrogen manufacturing plant, taken by way of example) are displaced in a predetermined sequence, and of the type in which moving cams control couplings between a constantly reciprocatin part and the elements, such as valves, to be displaced.

According to the present invention selective latch couplings are disposed between a constant- 1y reciprocating rectilinearly guided cross-head andthe elements to be displaced, such as bars connected to the valves of a gas plant.

The coupling is effected preferably at the time when the reciprocating cross-head is at rest, or

substantially so, at the end of a traverse.

The invention is more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a diagrammatic side view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a side view on an enlarged scale showing particularly one of the masks and its associated parts.

Fig. 3 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 2 but with the mask in a raised position.

Fig. 5 is a section on line V-V of Fig. 2.

A cross-head 1 is connected by a connecting rod 8 to a crank pin 9 on a continuously rotating crank disc In, this cross-head I having a pair of spring loaded latches 5, 6. These latches may be gravity controlled if desired.

These latches 5, 6 are adapted to cooperate with a projection 4 0n the drawbar 3 connected to the valve or the like element to be operated, and longitudinally displaceable between pairs of rollers II which drawbar is locked in either of its two end positions by means of stops I, 2 engaging with notches l3, M respectively. These stops I, 2 are under spring control and are each pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank lever rotating about a fixed spindle I1, the other arm l8 of which has a connection to a latch l8 connected to a link adapted to be engaged by a pivoted lever 2| connected to the resetting gear 22. Stop pins 23 are connected to a lever 24 pivoted at 25 and having a roller 26 adapted to be operated by a cam projection 21 on the continuously rotating cam disc 28. It will be appreciated that a cam disc 28 will be provided for each drawbar 3.

The cross-head in its reciprocation in the position oi the parts shown will not move the drawbar 3 as the latch 6 cannot drop behind the projection 4 because of the arms of a mask 30 pivoted about a fixed point by Way of its cranked arm and coupled to a connecting rod 32 connected to th arm l5 of the bell crank lever. When, however, the projection 21 engages the roller 26 and tilts the lever 24 about its pivot 25, then the latch l9 will be dropped into range of a striker 33 mounted on the-cross-head I, so that as thiscompletes its next reciprocation to the right it will engage'this striker and turn-the bell crank lever l5, l8, about its pivot I! to raise the rod 32 and thus withdraw the mask 30 from the back of the stop 4. The latch 6 will therefore engage behind this projection 4, and asthe connecting rod 8 commences to move to the left it will move withit the drawbar 3 as this has now been unlocked by reason of the stop 2 having been withdrawn from the notch l4 owing to its connection with the arm 15 of the bell crank lever.

Movement of the drawbar 3 in the .opposite direction is effected by another cam disc on the same shaft as camdisc '28 engaging the roller 34 of lever 35;

Spindle 40 and knob 4|.form part of a hand tripping gear for manually tripping link 20 for test or other purposes.

Parts 1'5, 112119320, 2t, 22', 23', 24', 30', 32 shown on the left hand side of Figure l function in a similar manner to th correspondingly numbered parts shown on the right han side of Figure 1 and described above.

I declare that what I claim is:

1. In a cyclical control apparatus wherein various parts are to be displaced in pre-determined sequence, at least one constantly reciprocating rectilinearly guided cross-head, a displaceable part associated with said cross-head, at least one latch on said cross-head adapted for driving engagement with said displaceable part, a displaceable mask adapted in one position to render said latch inoperative and in another position to permit driving engagement of said latch with said displaceable part, and cam means governing the position of said mask.

2. In a cyclical control apparatus wherein various parts are to be displaced in pre-determlned sequence, at least one constantly reciprocating rectilinearly guided cross-head, a displaceable part associated with said cross-head, at least one latch on said cross-head adapted for driving engagement with said displaceable part, a displaceable mask adapted in one position to render said latch inoperative and in another position to permit driving engagement of said latch with said displaceable part, transmission means for enabling the cross-head tocausemotement offjsaid mask from'said onepbsition to said other position and cam means controlling said transmise. sion means.

3. In a cyclical control apparatus wherei 'nvar -c ious parts are to be displaced in pre-detemnined sequence, at least one constantly reciprocating rectilinearly guided cross-head a, displaceable; part associated with saidztcllQss-vhcadkali least,

one latch on said cross-head adapted for driving engagement with said displaceable part, a displaceable mask adapted in onepositiorr to; render".

said latch inoperative and in another position to permit driving engagement ofrlsaidilfitchw blfl said displaceable part, transmissionimeansfora-I enabling the cross-head to cause movement. of I said mask from said one position to said other position, cam means controlling said transmission means, locking means for saiddisplaceable part, said l'oc'ki-ngmeans being connected to saidtransmission means to cause the lock-ing'means to be disengagedfr'om the displaceable part when the -m'ask is displaced by said transmission means.

- 4. In a cyclical control apparatuswherein various' parts are to be displaced in pre-deterrnined sequence, at least one constantl reciprocating rectilinearly guided cross-head, a displaceable part associated with said cross-head; I at least one I latch on saidcross-head adapted for driving engagement with said displaceable part, a pivoted mask adapted: in one angularposition to render said latch inoperative and in another-angular position to permit driving engagement of said Y latch with said displaceablerpart;aibellcrank lever assembly connected with said mask andamovable into the path of the cross-head; to. enable rectilinear movement of" the cross-head toactuate the bell crank lever assembly to: displace the mask from said one angular position to the other, detent mea-nsinormally holding. said bell crank lever assembly'out of the path of the crosshead and cam means adapted to release said detent means to enable the cross-head to displace themask to permit operative drivingiengagement of Saiclllatch; with saidsdisplaceable part.

5. In a cyclical control apparatus, according to .claimu4 a locking device. normally preventing movement of said;- d-isplaceablepart, said locking device being. connected :to said bell crank lever assembly to enable "it to be. released on actuation of the bell crank lever assembly by the crosshead.

6. In a cyclical controlapparatus according to sequence at least one constantly reciprocating rectilinearly guided cross-head, a displaceable part associated with and lying adjacent the path 101, of travel of'the cross-head, at least one spring a loaded. latch. on the cross-head adapted at the end of a stroke of the cross-head to enter into driving engagement with said displaceable part, a masknormally lying in the path of said latch to cause the latch to ride onto the mask to preventv it from. entering into driving engagement ,.;wi th said displaceable part, a mask normally lying in the path of said latch to cause the latch to ride-on to the mask to prevent it from entering into driving engagement with the displaceable "part, transmission means operable under the influence of thecross-head to causethe'movement "of" the: mask away from the position in whichit prevents the latch' from driving the engaging said displaceable part, detent meansnormally rendering said transmission meansinoperative and cam means adapted to release said detent means to enable the cross-head to Operate said transmission means so as to Withdraw the, mask 3 from its operative association with the latch so as to, enable the latch to enter into the driving engagement with: saiddisplaceable part v v In a cyclical control apparatus wherein various parts areto be dis-placediin pro-determined 3 sequence aplurality of constantly reciprocating cross-heads, a plurality of displaceablepartseaoh associated with one' of said cross-heads, each cross-head-having associated therewith atleast .one- -latch mounted thereon and adapted .for driv- 3) ing engagement with its associated displaceable part, a displaceable-mask. adapted in one position to render said latch inoperative and in another a position to' permit driving engagement of said latch with its displaceable part and a plurality of cams each controlling the position of the mask associated with oneof saidcross-heads,

JAMES GLENDINN'I NG BONE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references. are of record in. the

file of this patent:

STATES PATENTS Name Date- Boone Aug. 29; 1939 Number 

